WESTBROOK – Westbrook police credited an alert witness late last week with stepping in after a suspicious man allegedly tried to lure a young girl from a school bus stop.

Police arrested Steven J. Morrill, 53, of 16 Chestnut St., Friday on charges of felony-level criminal restraint and misdemeanor assault following a weeklong investigation.

Police Capt. Tom Roth said police received reports that a suspicious man approached a child waiting for a school bus in the Bridge Street neighborhood. He said a witness intervened and prevented a “potential abduction” after the suspect started to walk away with the child.

Following the initial reports, police began an investigation that included surveillance in the area of the incident, Roth said. As a result of surveillance and witness information, police were able to arrest Morrill at his home on Friday, he said.

School district Superintendent Dr. Reza Namin sent out e-mails after police announced the arrest thanking police for a quick and effective response. He said the incident highlights the cooperation between schools and police, and that a school resource officer will be alerted to similar incidents right away in the future.

Westbrook now has two full-time school resource officers, one for the elementary and middle schools and one for the high school, Namin said.

According to police, Morrill has an extensive criminal history dating back to the mid-1970s. His record includes convictions for sexual abuse of a minor in 1993 and furnishing liquor to a minor in 1986, along with numerous convictions for assault, police said.

His record also includes a number of other arrests, including one for gross sexual assault, police said.

Despite his lengthy history, Morrill is not listed on the sex offender registry. Several people on the Westbrook police Facebook page questioned this, and police posted a note saying the criteria for inclusion in the sex offender registry has changed over time. Depending on the date of his earlier conviction and the specifics of the case, Morrill may not have been required to register, police said.

Morrill remained held in Cumberland County Jail on $10,000 cash bail this week.